Hinduism and the kirtan

The power of kirtan is not only being progressively recognised and embraced in the yoga community, but practitioners of other devout traditions are embracing it as well; conceiving new kirtan forms. What are some of these types of kirtan and how is a kirtan practitioner to reply to them(Flood pp.45-52)?

Within the Jewish tradition, we have the Kirtan Rabbi. He sings Hebrew Kirtan, which engages a weaving of traditional Jewish liturgy and melodious modes with the call-and-response kirtan format as well as kirtan instrumentation. Kirtan Rabbai's Hebrew kirtan values the traditional call-and-response pattern - but utilises traditional Jewish modes of notation drawn from both European and Eastern sources.

Then there is Christian Kirtan, which is engaged in some places of adoration to commemorate the service of Holy Communion. One way this perform disagrees from Hebrew kirtan is that it engages not only utilising the call-and-response format and instrumentation of kirtan, but furthermore vocalising in Sanskrit. This is, Sanskrit versions of Christian prayers or Christian versions of Sanskrit prayers for example Jaya Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ (glory to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ).

Within the Hindu and Yoga traditions, we find kirtans dedicated to many deities for example Kali, Hanuman, Ram, Krishna, and Shiva. Study of the Vedic literatures discloses, although, that kirtan is solely a limb of bhakti that tensions devotion to Krishna. In the Gita Krishna tensions the significance of kirtan by characterising his devotees as those who habitually manage kirtana - “satatam kirtayanto mam” (Bhagavad-gita 9:14). Such declarations have directed to the development of kirtantheology and practice. In the declarations of other Hindu deities for example Shiva, Durga, and Kali in Vedic literatures, such mention of kirtan as a entails of adoration is mostly conspicuous by its absence. Nonetheless, whereas the scriptures endorse Krishna kirtan, the perform is so blissful and persuading that other religious routes have taken up it to chant the titles of Siva, Durga, Kali, and other deities. And now Jewish and Christian kirtan have appeared as well. (Feuerstein pp.56-70)

Personally, other than creating my own chants, I favour to vocalise mantras in glorification of Krishna as discovered in the scriptures, or, as in writing by large saints. Nonetheless, I accept that if in Sanskrit, or Hebrew, or any other dialect, the most significant standard in kirtan is that Divine titles are being glorified. The large religious educator Srila Prabhupada asserted, “Actually, it doesn't issue - Krsna or Christ - the title is the same. The major issue is to pursue the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures that suggest chanting the title of God in this age” (Science of Self Realization, Chapter 4). And it is not only the Vedic tradition that suggests the chanting of the holy titles of the Divine with melodious instruments. In the Old Testament we find: “Praise him with timbrel and promenading, applaud him with the cords and pipe, applaud him with the conflict of cymbals, applaud him with resounding cymbals” (Chang Pp.12-25). Why not fulfil this injunction to applaud the lord, through ...